Fork-guard



(No Model.)

0. H. STEIGLEDER.

' FORK GUARD. No. 382,060. Patented May 1, 1888.

Ill

N. PETERS. whwuuwn m. wan; n nnnn c.

I UNITED STATES PATE T @FFICE.

CHARLES H. STEIGLEDER, OF NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FORK-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,060, dated May 1, 1888.

Serial No. 257,839. (NomodelJ .To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. STEIGLE- DER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Northampton, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have in vented new and useful Improvements in Fork-Guards, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that class of forks which are provided with a bifurcated guard pivotally hung on the shank of the fork, and particularly to a spring-actuated means whereby the guard will be maintained either in its opened or closedposition; and it consists in the construction and combination of parts, all substantially as will be hereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings the present invent-ion is illustrated, Figure 1 be ing a side elevation of a carving-fork having its guard 'open, and by dotted lines showing the position of the guard when closed; and Fig. 2 is a plan view of the under side of the fork.

The fork A is provided at its shank with the guard B, having the extension at and legs b b, which is pivotally hung thereon, as at d,

and as usual in forks of this class. The shank of the fork near the pivot 11 is bored or chambered transversely, as shown at f, said chamber extending nearly through the body of said shank in a' line with the guard-pivot, and within which is disposed a plunger, 9, having a head, h, of a diameter to fit the chamber, and formed outwardly inclined or tapering, as shown at j, and between the end wall of the chamber f and the inner side of the head of the plunger is disposed a spiral spring, m, the coils of which embrace the shank of the plunger 9.

The guard is limited in its movements to open or to close by the abutment thereof at its crotch against the shank or by its outer end between the fork-tines, and is pivoted in such a manner that at all times one leg of the guard, by one or the other of its edgesjust below the pivot,lies over and against the plunger, thereby preventing its escape from the chamberf, and the outward spring-pressure of said plunger serves to maintain the guard in either of the positions indicated, as is obvious without further description.

The construction and arrangement of the device, in connection with the fork hereinbefore described, is most simple, effective, cheap, durable, and practical; is in no way cumbersome, and is not liable under continued use to become inoperative.

What I claim as my invention is The combination, with a fork provided at its shank with the pivoted guard B, and the chamber f, extending parallel with the guardpivot, of a plunger located in said chamber, having a shank extending thereinto, and a head fitting said chamber, and a coiled spring inclosing said shank and acting between the base of said chamber and said plunger-head to force the outer end of the plunger against one leg of the guard, substantially as set forth.

CHARLES H. STEIGLEDER.

Witnesses:

H. A. CHAPIN, G. M. CHAMBERLAIN. 

